1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drive tool for orthopedic screws such as dental implants.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dental implants are commonly used as anchoring members in prosthodontic restorations to provide prosthetic teeth at one or more edentulous sites in a patient's dentition at which the patient's original natural teeth have been lost or damaged. Typically, known implant systems include a dental implant made from a suitable biocompatible material, such as titanium. The dental implant is typically threaded into a bore which is drilled into the patient's mandible or maxilla at the edentulous site. The implant body provides an anchoring member for a dental abutment, which in turn provides an interface between the implant and a dental restoration. The restoration is typically a porcelain crown fashioned according to known methods to replicate the shape of the tool being replaced. Additionally, some dental implant systems utilize an implant which incorporates the implant and abutment into an integral implant forming a single, unitary body.
To thread a dental implant into the maxilla or mandible of a patient, a drive tool may be used. A drive tool typically accepts the head portion, or abutment portion, of the dental implant and rotationally locks the head portion with respect to the drive tool. This rotational locking can be accomplished by either an external or internal feature on the drive tool which mates with a corresponding feature on the dental implant and allows for the drive tool to impart rotational force to the head portion of the dental implant. Dental implants are often constructed to have the head portion, or abutment portion, of the implant angled with respect to the implant body to properly fit the anatomy of a patient's dentition, and what is needed is an improved drive tool to accommodate such implants.